Essential Questions How do authors use fiction to make a statement about culture? How does Achebe's use of dialect, symbolism, and proverb reveal cultural and historical contexts?
Introduction to the Ibo CultureTravel Brochure In order to understand the Ibo Culture about which Achebe writes, we are going to create travel brochures that answer the following questions. The best brochure will be used for the sophomore classes who are beginning the novel as well. Content: For the following 5 areas, you must conduct research to introduce others to the cultural context of the novel.
Geography: where are they located? What is the environment like (weather, land mass)?
Economics/Social classes: what is the major source of income for the people? How do they spend (trade, currency, bartering)? What determines wealth? Is wealth valued? Why/how? What are the symbols of wealth?
Traditions/ceremonies: what are the major ceremonies and traditions (rite of passage, marriage, holidays)? Describe the details (dress, symbols, events).
Religion: what are their beliefs as far as a higher power? Have they always believed it or was there a time in their history when a new religion was introduced?
History of Colonial Impact: describe how and why the British Colonials came into their culture.
You need to include a bibliography of all sites used to compose the brochure. Follow the same format you did for the research paper (alphabetized by author’s last name, double spaced, hanging indent, last names of group members in upper right corner). Graphics: Since a brochure is a visual item, you also need to have pictures to correlate with each segment of the brochure. You need to have at least one picture for each section, but you are welcome to have more. The pictures need to be accurate and should have a brief caption to identify what it represents. Organization: There are brochure templates in both Pages and Word for your use. You may choose from any of them, but you should consider if the template is appropriate in tone (example: some of the templates are titled, such as “Child Care”. The theme of this might not fit a country in Africa.). I recommend the Classic, Elegant, and Museum templates in Pages and the Ascent, Capital, and Cornerstone templates in Word. You are welcome to create your own template as well. Be sure your writing is organized, fluent, and employs good conventions (spelling, punctuation, grammar). Syllabus of Readings
Link to online text
While I am not requiring it, I highly recommend you creating a character chart to which you add as you read. Since the names may seem extraordinarily foreign, it is important that you are thorough so you can keep the characters distinct as you read. Additionally, you should also be explicating for elements as well as completing the Targeted Motif template. You may download extras below.
The targeted motif for each reading is listed next to the assigned chapters in orange below. Anyone wishing for additional practice in essay development is welcome to answer the questions beneath the assigned chapters. You are not required to do so.
Chapters 1 - 3Social Status How does Achebe reveal cultural ideals in the opening three chapters?
Chapters 4 - 5Rituals and Traditions How does Achebe relate the significance of the rituals and traditions observed in these two chapters?
Chapters 6 - 7Family Dynamics How does Achebe use foreshadowing at the end of chapter 7?
Chapters 8 - 9Parent-Child Relationships How does Achebe construct the nuances and obstacles to parent-child relationships?
Chapters 10 - 11Justice How does Achebe relate the justice system of the Ibo?
Chapters 12 - 13Ceremony/Celebration Juxtapose the two ceremonies depicted in these chapters. How does Achebe continue to reveal cultural ideals through these depictions?
Chapters 14 - 16Culture Clash Analyze Achebe’s introduction of the arrival of the whites and its significance to the meaning of the work as a whole?
Chapters 17 - 19Social Undesirables Juxtapose the way the tribe and the missionaries deal with undesirable people and/or those who have committed crimes.
Chapters 20 - 22Social Change How does Achebe reveal the effects of change?
Chapters 23 - 25Culture Annihilation Given the final sentence of the novel, how do the last three chapters develop the theme of the meaning of the work as a whole?
How do authors use fiction to make a statement about culture?
How does Achebe's use of dialect, symbolism, and proverb reveal cultural and historical contexts?
Introduction to the Ibo CultureTravel Brochure
In order to understand the Ibo Culture about which Achebe writes, we are going to create travel brochures that answer the following questions. The best brochure will be used for the sophomore classes who are beginning the novel as well.
Content:
For the following 5 areas, you must conduct research to introduce others to the cultural context of the novel.
- Geography: where are they located? What is the environment like (weather, land mass)?
- Economics/Social classes: what is the major source of income for the people? How do they spend (trade, currency, bartering)? What determines wealth? Is wealth valued? Why/how? What are the symbols of wealth?
- Traditions/ceremonies: what are the major ceremonies and traditions (rite of passage, marriage, holidays)? Describe the details (dress, symbols, events).
- Religion: what are their beliefs as far as a higher power? Have they always believed it or was there a time in their history when a new religion was introduced?
- History of Colonial Impact: describe how and why the British Colonials came into their culture.
You need to include a bibliography of all sites used to compose the brochure. Follow the same format you did for the research paper (alphabetized by author’s last name, double spaced, hanging indent, last names of group members in upper right corner).Graphics:
Since a brochure is a visual item, you also need to have pictures to correlate with each segment of the brochure. You need to have at least one picture for each section, but you are welcome to have more. The pictures need to be accurate and should have a brief caption to identify what it represents.
Organization:
There are brochure templates in both Pages and Word for your use. You may choose from any of them, but you should consider if the template is appropriate in tone (example: some of the templates are titled, such as “Child Care”. The theme of this might not fit a country in Africa.). I recommend the Classic, Elegant, and Museum templates in Pages and the Ascent, Capital, and Cornerstone templates in Word. You are welcome to create your own template as well.
Be sure your writing is organized, fluent, and employs good conventions (spelling, punctuation, grammar).
Syllabus of Readings
Link to online text
While I am not requiring it, I highly recommend you creating a character chart to which you add as you read. Since the names may seem extraordinarily foreign, it is important that you are thorough so you can keep the characters distinct as you read. Additionally, you should also be explicating for elements as well as completing the Targeted Motif template. You may download extras below.
The targeted motif for each reading is listed next to the assigned chapters in orange below. Anyone wishing for additional practice in essay development is welcome to answer the questions beneath the assigned chapters. You are not required to do so.
Chapters 1 - 3 Social Status
How does Achebe reveal cultural ideals in the opening three chapters?
Chapters 4 - 5 Rituals and Traditions
How does Achebe relate the significance of the rituals and traditions observed in these two chapters?
Chapters 6 - 7 Family Dynamics
How does Achebe use foreshadowing at the end of chapter 7?
Chapters 8 - 9 Parent-Child Relationships
How does Achebe construct the nuances and obstacles to parent-child relationships?
Chapters 10 - 11 Justice
How does Achebe relate the justice system of the Ibo?
Chapters 12 - 13 Ceremony/Celebration
Juxtapose the two ceremonies depicted in these chapters. How does Achebe continue to reveal cultural ideals through these depictions?
Chapters 14 - 16 Culture Clash
Analyze Achebe’s introduction of the arrival of the whites and its significance to the meaning of the work as a whole?
Chapters 17 - 19 Social Undesirables
Juxtapose the way the tribe and the missionaries deal with undesirable people and/or those who have committed crimes.
Chapters 20 - 22 Social Change
How does Achebe reveal the effects of change?
Chapters 23 - 25 Culture Annihilation
Given the final sentence of the novel, how do the last three chapters develop the theme of the meaning of the work as a whole?